Spring Cleaning
It’s that time of year again! Flowers are growing on trees, the sun is out for longer, the temperature is getting warmer, and springtime is officially here! In order to be prepared for the warmer months ahead, it’s time for the annual spring cleaning. You’ve awakened from your winter hibernation and it is time to clean up the mess that was accumulated from it. Spring cleaning is not mandatory, but it is important and has many benefits, such as improving your health both mentally and physically, creating a more functional and organized space, reducing safety hazards, and keeping allergies away. Spring is considered the season of renewal in nature and in popular culture, and with a corresponding surge of increased energy during the springtime, you may as well renew your home as well. Whether it be giving away clothes, disinfecting, wiping, mopping, dusting, or whatever your choice of cleaning is, all are great ways to clean and get your home organized! The students at Leonia High School are no exception to spring cleaning, and I’ve interviewed 3 students in order to find out their experiences doing so.
Although spring cleaning is not necessarily associated with teenagers and rather seen as a more adult activity, teenagers today participate in it. Whether it’s leading the entirety of the spring cleaning for the household or only cleaning your room, it is all participation in the same. When asked whether or not they’ve completed their spring cleaning this year, freshman Anna Kim, sophomore Carmen Permasar, and senior Victoria Grabois all answered with yes. As spring cleaning has become increasingly more popular over the years, more and more teenagers are joining in. When asked if they think spring cleaning is important, all three responded that it is. Victoria Grabois added, “New season, new cleaning!” During the time of year where tests are running rampant and homework is being assigned like never before, spring cleaning is a good way to help. When you have a clean workspace, you feel much more productive and motivated to study rather than just lay in your mess all day. Also, cleaning can help clear the mind of students’ daily anxiety and sadness and give them a sense of control over a portion of their lives.
There are many benefits that come with spring cleaning for people and for their households alike. When asked what the benefits of spring cleaning were for them and their household, Carmen responded saying, “I don’t have to worry about cleaning while I try to relax on my break.” Anna responded with something similar by saying, “It clears the mind.” Cleaning is something that may not be considered the most fun or be prioritized by teenagers, but when living in a messy house, it will always be something that is in the back of your mind and that you are constantly reminded of. Whether it be parents’ constant reminders to clean or your own discomfort in a messy environment, in order to relax during the warmer seasons and be able to have a calm summer break, it is important to spring clean. It may be hard to find the motivation to do so, but your mind will be much more free of anxiety after cleaning, although cleaning may be harder for some more than others depending on the extent of the mess in their household. When asked what they’ve found difficult about spring cleaning in the past, Anna responded that she found it difficult to maintain a clean home, Victoria responded that she found it difficult to get rid of things she did not want to get rid of, and Carmen responded by saying, “It is a lot to clean as we accumulate a large mess throughout the year leading up tto spring.” Spring cleaning automatically comes with its difficulties, but it’s important to remember that the pros outweigh the cons in this situation. There are many ways to spring clean, some harder than others, and when asked what kinds of spring cleaning they do, all three responded that they clean their room and help their family around the house, while Victoria and Carmen also responded saying that they get rid of old things they do not need anymore and Anna also responded saying that she disinfects many things around the house.
Spring cleaning has been a tradition for centuries, dating back to when homes were kept warm by burning wood and coal and were lit using oil and kerosene lamps. All of this mixed with tightly closed doors and windows in order to keep the heat in for the winter left homes covered in soot and mold. Spring was the best time to clean all of this out as the warm weather allowed for people to dust bedding outside, scrub their floors, and open the windows to let the soot escape. Although technology has made many advances since this time period and we no longer need to clean our homes due to burning wood during the winter, spring cleaning is still a yearly tradition. It is all about welcoming the spring time and giving your home a fresh start for a new season!
